teaching kids to cast a fly.

[Thudpucker]

If you have the chance to get a bunch of Scouts, or just about any group of kids, to a place where they might want to learn to cast a fly.

I will relate my experience and what I learned. Please add all else you think I missed.
Teaching kids to cast a fly....LOL I did that once!
It was fun more than anything else.
Wear a good felt hat. In fact everybody should.
Good glasses too.

You have to keep those kids a good distance apart. When that first leader snaps you in the face, you'll lose your composure completly.
What I figured out when I helped out was this:

You dont need a real fly outfit to teach casting.
Just a long Cane pole with a fly line tied to the end.
Take a Double taper fly line, a nice heavy one, maybe an 8 or 9 wt.
Cut it in three equal pieces.
Tie the pieces to the ends of the Cane poles.
Use a wad of Yarn for a fly. Get some stiff short leader. Probably 30Lb test. The cheap stuff is better because it's stiffer.

You can teach the theory, and have them dry flying in just a few minutes.
Lift, wait, cast, whooooa there, let it down easy!

If you go into something like that (with a bunch of teenagers) With all the right gear,(Rods n' Reel's n' good lines) you'll just have a mess here, then over there, then back there .....You'll be busy.
But I enjoyed it. Kids'l dig in and learn. Then forget the whole thing until some years later. Then it'l come back and they'll be on this board.
[signature]